Sports reporting continues to be a necessary and prominent activity of the press, informing the populace of the action of a sporting event for those unable to witness the action first-hand. Cameras are frequently employed as the best means of directly capturing the action of a sporting event and relaying it to spectators elsewhere. Recently, camera technology has continued to advance, providing spectators with higher quality video streams with richer colors, frame rates, and higher definition digital sensors to capture every second of a game with ease and clarity. Currently, cameras are placed in both mobile and fixed positions in nearly all places around a sporting arena, field, or event, in order to give sportscasters the best angles and views possible of every play of a game. Cameras are even placed in aerial blimps, as well as affixed to motors traveling along suspended cables, providing for a constant and consistent view of a game from multiple angles. Cameras such as these are able to track the position of the ball both up and down the side lines, as well as across the field horizontally.
Unfortunately, it has been historically difficult to attain first-person footage of a sporting event from within the game, without disrupting the action of the game itself or subjecting the camera to damage, as cameras have been known to be too bulky or cumbersome to be placed on players clothing or equipment. Thus, first person point-of-view shots of a sporting event have been generally unavailable until recent years. While player-mounted cameras have been occasionally employed in some sporting events, their means of mounting have commonly been on the exterior of the players' helmets. Mounting a camera in this manner leaves the camera susceptible to degraded quality of video due to interference created by vibrations during running and other conventional acts of the game. Similarly, the camera is susceptible to damage during a tackle or if the ball were to come into contact with the camera mount or harness.
Thus, there is a need for a hilly integrated helmet camera, capable of remaining mounted within the frame of a helmet such that the lens and monitoring apparatus is flush with the face of the helmet in order to eliminate the chance of damage to the camera system during impacts incurred during the course of conventional gameplay. It is required that the camera equipment, transmitter, and antenna all be safely housed within the frame of the helmet such that the components are protected from impact from both the head of the wearer as well as the shell of the helmet.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,819,354B1 granted to Ronald R. Foster et al. on Nov. 16, 2004 is for a ‘Completely Integrated Helmet Camera.’ Foster et al. is similar to that of the present invention in that it is designed to be mounted on a helmet. However, the present invention varies from that of Foster et al, in that Foster et al. is mounted on the exterior of a compliant helmet, whereas the present invention is configured to be embedded within a specially designed helmet, such that the lens and system is flush with the face of the helmet.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0165109 A1 published on Aug. 26, 2004 by Ben Lee is for a ‘Combination Miniature Camera and Cap for Hands Free Video and Method Therefor.’ Lee teaches a miniature camera designed to be mounted to a cap or other head garment. While Lee is similar to that of the present invention, it varies from the present invention in that Lee is not embedded within the cap or helmet, but is rather mounted on the exterior of the cap or helmet. Additionally, the present invention is designed to be durable and resistant to impacts that are commonly incurred during high impact sports such as American Football, whereas Lee could easily be dislodged, removed, or damaged a conventional game.